Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: February 24, 2025

Date: Monday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture Text: Mark 9:14-29

As Jesus came down from the mountain with Peter, James, John and approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and scribes arguing with them. Immediately on seeing him, the whole crowd was utterly amazed. They ran up to him and greeted him. He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” He said to them in reply, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him to me.”

They brought the boy to him. And when he saw him, the spirit immediately threw the boy into convulsions. As he fell to the ground, he began to roll around and foam at the mouth. Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. It has often thrown him into fire and into water to kill him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus said to him, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Jesus, on seeing a crowd rapidly gathering, rebuked the unclean spirit and said to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you: come out of him and never enter him again!” Shouting and throwing the boy into convulsions, it came out. He became like a corpse, which caused many to say, “He is dead!” But Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.

When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, “Why could we not drive the spirit out?” He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel text for today recounts Jesus’ exorcism of a possessed boy whom the disciples had been unable to help. We are struck by the tension between belief and unbelief, between faith and lack of faith. The disciples had been unable to help the boy because their faith was not strong enough. The father demonstrates faith in bringing his son to Christ, but then tells Christ, “if you can.”

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

When I pray, do I truly believe with all my being that the LORD will hear my plea and that the LORD “can” give me what I ask?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, we praise You for You are the source of all being, the source of all goodness, You are love itself. We thank You for your gift of life to us and for your constant power and presence spent upon us. We bring to You our needs with confidence that You hear our prayer and that You do respond. We believe, LORD, help our disbelief. Strengthen our faith for our journeys. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.